Welcome to the last newsletter for Term 1, 2024. On reflection, we have enjoyed a really positive start to the school year with so many highlights. Our classrooms and learning environments are predictable, calm, and orderly, with a clear focus, via our Instructional Model of stimulating learning and effective teaching time- aka, improved student outcomes. Over the course of Term 2, we will share further information on what our classrooms look, sound, and feel like, including details on our Instructional Model, Berry Street strategies and much more.
Yesterday evening we welcomed our community into the college for our annual Information Evening. Once again, we had a fantastic turnout with many complimentary comments and feedback about the school we are and the programs and supports we provide to students. As Principal of this wonderful school, it is always a pleasure to showcase our first-class facilities, programs, learning environments and especially our stars of the show, our brilliant staff, and amazing students. We had all our staff in attendance, leading tours and speaking passionately about their subject areas and the learning opportunities contained within. Our students equally did an excellent job, demonstrating their leadership by assisting tours, providing demonstrations, cooking food for our community and expressing their gratitude for what Newcomb Secondary College means to them. Seeing the staff and student turnout underlines the connectedness of our school. It makes us all very proud of the college community that we have and reinforces the commitment and investment of all in ensuring that Newcomb Secondary College continues to be a wonderful school, community, and family to be part of. Thank you.
Thank you for a great Term. We wish you all a relaxing and enjoyable holiday break spent doing what makes you happy and with those you care about. I encourage you all to review Term 1 as a family and reflect on the feedback provided to you on Learning Tasks and the Personal Learning Qualities (PLQ’s) and set appropriate goals to maintain growth. Equally, take some time to refresh the batteries- Term 2 will be a long term, but one full of positive opportunities, highlights, and much enjoyment for staff and students.
On March 21st the Nobody’s Fool Theatre students visited the Titanic Exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. Linking in with their VCE VM Literacy units 1 & 3 students investigated, explored and analysed the artefacts from the actual Titanic. Students were each given a boarding pass with the name and information of an actual passenger, including their class and found out at the end if they survived or not. Students had a fantastic day out and took lots of pictures. A highlight of the trip was the giant iceberg that was actually made of real ice! Thank you to everyone who attended what a fantastic day!
In this program, all students work on their own personal bike project – a complete strip down and re-build of a geared bike.
So, I am asking for our community to look into the “darkest depths of their family sheds”, or “just out the back beside the water tank” and look out any unused, or ‘not likely to be used again’ bikes and donate them to the school. You don’t even need to dust them off! We’ll do that. Any condition, any brand. If you have extended family or friends that may have a bike or 2, mention this to them. If you see one sitting out for hard rubbish collection, maybe wheel it into your front yard and give the school a call!
Sometimes bikes that are ‘too good’ to pull apart find a home with the bikes we use for Bike tour, or with a student who might be in need of a bike.
Thanks in advance! – Can’t wait to see what comes out of the woodwork.
Dear families of our Years 8 – 11 Indonesian students,
We are extremely fortunate that our sister school, SMANSA from Lombok, are sending some of their students over on a cultural exchange in from April 26th through to May 2nd, 2024 (end of Week Two, Term Two to the end of Week Three).
Newcomb Secondary College has a proud history with our sister school and are pleased that we are able begin our cultural exchange trips again.
For this exchange, we are partnering up with Matthew Flinders and Surf Coast Secondary.
Newcomb Secondary College are seeking 5 families to host a student from SMANSA.
Due to cultural difference, we prefer to partner our host students with an NSC student of the same gender. Host families will receive an information pack on how to best cater for their host student. If we receive more than 5 interested families, further discussions will occur.
Where You Can Eat provides an up-to-date guide on all the food relief agencies across the Geelong region.
Please click on the logo below to access a downloadable resource providing you with information on when, where, how, and what food relief services are available near you. This document is also attached as a PDF for your convenience.
Celebrating Outstanding Achievements: Positive Acknowledgements for the Term
We are excited to highlight the exceptional accomplishments of students who embody the core values of Learning, Respect, and Working Together at Newcomb Secondary College. Congratulations to the following students who have received the most positive acknowledgements for their year levels this term:
Year 7: Caidaynce Williams
Year 8: Yasir Saeed and Ashlyn Forssman
Year 9: Jaime Helmore
Year 10: Katelin Cobb
Year 11: Zakk Osborne
Year 12: Austin Anthony
Your commitment to our school values and positive contributions to our community are truly inspiring.
Furthermore, a special commendation goes to Home Group 81
for collectively demonstrating our values and receiving the most positive acknowledgements. Your teamwork and dedication set an exemplary standard for us all.
Let's continue to uphold our values of Learning, Respect, and Working Together as we celebrate these achievements and strive for excellence together. Well done, everyone!
The Enhanced Curriculum Option (ECO) is an educational program that is offered across years 7, 8 and 9. The Enhanced Curriculum Option is designed to cater for the educational needs of students who are motivated and enthusiastic learners. ECO students are actively involved in investigating, problem solving as well as higher order thinking activities that are complex, meaningful and challenging. Students selected for the ECO program are expected to show a strong commitment to ACADEMIC performance, positive ATTITUDE and high ATTENDANCE.
Application forms can be found on our web site. Applications close Monday April 15th, 2024 for Year 7 students in 2025.
The Unit 1&2 psychology students completed a brain dissection on Tuesday this week. Amanda Rusiniak did a wonderful job leading the dissection as the current leader of the science department. They have just started their introduction into the human brain. No, we did not use actual human brains - sheep brains were much more ethical and accessible... The students enjoyed this session, some maybe a little bit too much...others were happy to sit out and take some private study time of the brain model. This was the first time Newcomb Secondary College students have completed a brain dissection in psychology in a very long time, if not ever before. The students are looking forward to continuing their study of the brain in Area of Study 2: How are mental processes and behaviour influenced by the brain?
Newcomb Secondary College is fortunate enough to have a Doctors in Schools Program running 2 days a week.
We have both a GP, and Mental Health Nurse that attend onsite to run a clinic on a Tuesday and Wednesday. This clinic is for any student in Years 7-12. The appointments are bulk billed, meaning that there is no cost to families.
Appointments can be made by either contacting the schools Wellbeing Team or calling Bellarine Community Health on 5253 0400.
Students may access this service to address any of the following:
Physical pain or issues
Health lifestyle (sleep, diet, nutrition, exercise)
Mental health
Sexual health and contraception
Sexuality and gender identity
Body image
Scripts
If you would like to know more, please contact Jane Osborne in our Wellbeing Team.
The After School Homework Club is in Room B2 every day except Thursdays. Students are welcome to attend to catch up on classwork, complete homework, receive individual tutoring or to work with classmates on a group project. They may attend for 15 minutes to sort out just one problem or they may attend right up to 5pm to accomplish a greater amount of learning. Those who attend will be awarded a positive learning chronicle (with reward token) and will be offered food.
We’re excited to let you know that entries for the 2024 Insight Creative Writing Competition
are OPEN. If we have any budding writers from Years 7–12 at our school, please enter! We’d love to see your work.
Here is a quick reminder of the guidelines Insight have made to help students get even more creative with their entries.
All year levels have an upper limit of 1400 words. There is no minimum word limit.
We accept other creative writing forms in addition to short stories, including poems, scripts and more.
This year’s theme (Beauty in the unknown) is optional, giving entrants the freedom to write about anything that inspires them.
To download the submission form and view all conditions of entry, please click below.
Thank you to the VET Volunteer team led by Ms Fell for assisting Miss Marshall, Mr Ryan and Mr Hill to move out the old Library shelving and to set up the new Raeco mobile shelving units. The new mobile units are in a space-saving, Y-shaped configuration with lots of outward-facing books. Having the VET Volunteer Team on board made a world of difference to the Learning Resource Centre project and your volunteer work was appreciated. We hope that you enjoyed your mini party to celebrate the end of the project!
We know access to high-speed broadband is a necessity in the 21st Century. Yet sadly many families and school students are still unable to access the internet at home and that this can place students at a significant disadvantage.
The Albanese Government is providing up to 30,000 families with free broadband for one year, as part of their plan for a better National Broadband Network (NBN). Already, 1,000 families now have home internet thanks to the School Student Broadband Initiative.
This helps ensure that students can reach their full potential, by helping them to stay connected at home so they don’t fall behind.
To check your eligibility please refer to the contact details below:
For those of you wanting to learn to play and to practise piano at home - we have a school community contact with a free piano for you to remove from Ocean Grove and have in your home! If this interests you, please email Newcomb Secondary College teacher Ms Bourke for contact details.
